hand cutter what do you need

[mitchel]

looking to add some experience to my cv currently do mainly domestic tree surgery and some commercial have done years and years on railway in past as just a cutter.  what sort of tickets would I need?

 

what sort of day rate would you expect to get hand cutting? would they also pay digs on top?. 

[htb]

@Donnie

[Brushcutter]

Arb pays better than hand cutting for the most part because it's a service industry rather than primary production.  Good money can be made if you are good and on production. 

 

Ticket wise depending on where you are and what your doing your 30 31 will see you fine cutting coppice. If you go hand cutting edge trees and oversized you need your medium/large/assisted depending on who you are working for and the land owner.  FC love tickets.

 

Then you you things you don't use often in Arb but use a lot felling. Wedges bars turning strops winch. Jacks and if you fell a lot mechanical wedge. 

 

I love felling but the drive to and from site can really kill any money to be made. I've done 2 hours to and from site and then a day's work. Makes it a minimum wage day.

[Donnie]

On 29/01/2025 at 19:07, Brushcutter said:

Arb pays better than hand cutting for the most part because it's a service industry rather than primary production.  Good money can be made if you are good and on production. 

 

Ticket wise depending on where you are and what your doing your 30 31 will see you fine cutting coppice. If you go hand cutting edge trees and oversized you need your medium/large/assisted depending on who you are working for and the land owner.  FC love tickets.

 

Then you you things you don't use often in Arb but use a lot felling. Wedges bars turning strops winch. Jacks and if you fell a lot mechanical wedge. 

 

I love felling but the drive to and from site can really kill any money to be made. I've done 2 hours to and from site and then a day's work. Makes it a minimum wage day.

2 hours drive and a days work? I remember my first part time job… haha.

[Donnie]

On 28/01/2025 at 19:49, mitchel said:

looking to add some experience to my cv currently do mainly domestic tree surgery and some commercial have done years and years on railway in past as just a cutter.  what sort of tickets would I need?

 

what sort of day rate would you expect to get hand cutting? would they also pay digs on top?. 

Small, medium and big. Windblow also. 
 

I started on 140 running my own van and now I wouldn’t cut commercially for any less than 250 a day. 

 

You will need around about 3K in kit I’d say to get you the basics. 
Plus own reliable van. 
 

Prepare to drive a lot, some days I can do 200 miles a day plus a shift which usually takes my days well over 12 hours a day. (I charge more for this but it’s still not worth it by any means). 
 

It’s expensive, shitty job most of the time but the days when it’s good and everything is working well brings out the love for the job. Every cutter will say the same. 
 

Saw advice would be to leave the 500i at home and get a decent 70cc saw that won’t drink the can within 4 hours of cutting edge trees and snedding. 
 

 

You’d be lucky to get digs paid for if you are starting out, but depending on where you are there should be loads of local work. 
 

My phone rings daily for cutting work, most I’ve had in one night has been 6 phone calls for the next days work but you can’t please everybody. 
 

 

Don’t buy into the Treeman’s jack bollocks at 1000 pound a piece. 
 

50 quid Hilka 20 ton jack and a plate will do the same job and if it breaks then it breaks. 
 

Can give you pointers on wedges, axes and what saw would be a good all rounder if you need

 

 

Here’s my insta of the stuff I do if you want an insight

Jake Donaghy (@jdforestry_) • Instagram reel

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

---

57 likes, 0 comments - jdforestry_ on January 31, 2025

 

Edited Tuesday at 21:04 by Donnie

[dan blocker]

Had a quick look at your instagram account Jake? Great stuff. Lovely office on a fine day🤔

[outinthewood]

I get a fair amount of contact via my social on this subject ( don't I JD lol) and you've already got some good feedback. The rate is determined by what the "customers" are prepared to pay so if they are using some goon that turns up late with an even worse work ethic and the bare min kit they will still want you at the same price for a far better attitude. You can be very busy but the phrase "busy fool " is very common in forestry, being out 5/6 days a week does not equal good money ! I'm saying JD is correct  less than 250 is not on as lets face it you can wipe out a bit of gear in a heart beat and you still have to comply the next day ! Don't forget you have to keep up to date 1st aid etc and it's not cheap.

I insist on "them" paying for accom and will not do sharing room etc, you are not on holiday but nor are you second rate !

On gear, yes on the cheap jack and I find Husqvarna have a better cross over of parts between saws than Stihl but that a individual thing and your fixing ability ? Buy the best you can. You don't have to have a big double cab to get to work but a small 4x4 could be the difference from walking a good distance to site or getting up on a grass bank close to site saving a lot of grunt with gear to site.

[handcutter]

The rate will be dependent on how productive you are, all mentioned above.

 

do you take pride in your work, are you tidy? Accurate? But what seems to be missing from most is the “drive” to do this job or “mentality” 

 

 

[Stubby]

No one has mentioned so far that you will , at some stage , need a spare pair of shoulders , fore arms , knees and a spare lower back .

[Brushcutter]

On 20/02/2025 at 13:08, Stubby said:

No one has mentioned so far that you will , at some stage , need a spare pair of shoulders , fore arms , knees and a spare lower back .

Do you have a supplier?